Turkish Bulgur Salad
Ingredients
- 1 C coarse wheat bulgur (cracked and peeled (2 C cooked))
- 1½ C boiling water
- ¼ C tomato paste
- 2 TBSPs. roasted red pepper paste
- 1 TBSP water (to add to the sauce)
- 3 TBSPs. olive oil
- 1 C cucumber (petite diced)
- 1 small red bell pepper (petite diced)
- ½ C green onion (chopped)
- ¼ C fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 TBSPs fresh mint (finely chopped)
- ⅓ C red onion (sliced)
- 2 TBSPs. Jalapeño Pepper (finely diced, OPTIONAL if you like it spicy)
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- ¼ C lemon juice (1 large lemon)
- 2 tbps. pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 TBSPs. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. Salt (or more to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
Directions
- Bulgur
- Rinse the bulgur well until the water is clear and drain completely.
- In a pot, bring 1.5 cups of water to boiling point and add the bulgur. Stir the bulgur, and allow it to boil.
- Once the bulgur starts boiling, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes (cooking times vary per brand).
- Once cooked, remove from the heat and also remove the lid. Fluff the bulgur up using a fork and allow it to cool up for about 10 minutes.
- Salad
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Wash and chop all the veggies and set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan over medium-low heat. Add in the tomato and red pepper paste. Let the paste mixture simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add one tablespoon of water to the sauce and mix well.
- Add in the cooked bulgur to the sauce. Mix everything together to coat the bulgur well. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, add the bulgur and all the chopped veggies. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve the Kisir Salad at room temperature or chilled, garnished with additional herbs and veggies like lettuce, olives, fresh tomatoes, chopped radish, onions or a side of protein.